“What happens if when Trump formulates his policies, they turn out to not be the 2016 Conservative Trump, but the 2015 Liberal Trump?”
Really depends what his policies are? Different Conservatives want different things done first.
I think what we are seeing is a new beginning. NOW is the time for the Conservatives to break off from the GOPe and create their own political party. The Conservative “Purists” will be wiped out unless they do something quickly.
I understand the purity trap. I am not talking about policy nuance here. I can easily deal with differences at the level you are talking about. How many times must it be said? In interviews in 2015, Trump was still advocating a single payer universal healthcare system. That only changed on the campaign trail during the year. He has not been in the private sector healthcare camp for a full calendar year yet.